Welcome to the ESRI marine GIS e-newsletter, The Wave, a guide for interesting marine GIS current events, publications, and opportunities.

Marine Events

Exploring Marine GIS: An ArcGIS Field and Lab Course
San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja California, Mexico
March 6–12, 2006

Coastal Ecosystems Research Foundation (CERF) is hosting this immersion week in geospatial sciences and marine biology (gray whales) in San Ignacio Lagoon, Mexico. The weeklong adventure is for both beginning and advanced GIS users and those looking to integrate GIS into their own conservation projects or professional work.

The workshop will include two days of instructor-led training using ESRI training materials and will be taught by an ESRI Authorized Instructor. Participants will integrate skills and perform exercises in an exploration of the marine data model, Arc Marine. In addition, participants will work side by side with CERF graduate students and marine mammal biologists, collecting data on the distribution, behavior, and ecology of gray whales occupying winter breeding grounds.

The course will include data collection in the lagoon and the opportunity to learn how to use some of the tools used by marine mammal scientists. Digital images, image-processing software, CERF's 10-year photo identification catalog, GPS units, and underwater sonar tracking devices will all be incorporated in the fieldwork sessions. In addition, those with ongoing projects or datasets are encouraged to bring their work with them, as there will be a data modeler and GIS consultant on hand.

Please contact Michelle Kinzel for instructions on registering for this course. For detailed information on the Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Web site and The Coastal Ecosystems Research Foundation.

MATE 2006 Summer Institutes
The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center is announcing two summer institutes at Monterey Peninsula College for 2006. There is no fee for participating. Lunches and some dinners will be provided by the MATE Center as well as hotel accommodations for participants living more than 50 miles from Monterey. Some travel stipends are also available. Educators who are interested in the workshops below should contact Lani Clough, MATE faculty development coordinator, or call 831-645-1393.

Creating a GIS Field Project to Address Marine and Coastal Issues
July 8–14, 2006

The workshop will walk educators through each step of creating their own GIS projects for the classroom. Participants will learn the basics of GIS and cartography and increase their knowledge of data sources, data types, and data management. Participants will create a marine or coastal map that addresses one or more marine issues. They will also create a lesson plan to use with their interactive map, which can be shared easily with students using ArcReader. Participants will interact with marine and coastal GIS experts to achieve a better understanding of how GIS is being used in marine and coastal issues.

Building Remotely Operated Vehicles
July 31–August 5, 2006

This workshop will teach educators the basic skills to help their students design and build remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that can compete in MATE’s regional and national ROV competitions. Educators will work in teams to design and build their own ROVs to complete a set of predetermined mission tasks. Participants will also pilot a small commercial ROV while on a boat cruise in Monterey Bay and visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with undersea engineers, ROV pilots, and marine technicians.

ROVs Leading the Way into the Future IMCA Seminar at Oceanology International 2006
The growing importance of ROVs is to be recognized by a free half-day seminar at Oceanology International 2006, organized by the Remote Systems and ROV Division of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA). Those interested in the seminar should contact Paul Patel at the IMCA secretariat.

Publications

Place Matters: Geospatial Tools for Marine Science, Conservation, and Management in the Pacific Northwest
Edited by Dawn J. Wright and Astrid J. Scholz
Foreword by Sylvia A. Earle

Although the ocean provides living space for approximately 97 percent of life on earth, less than 5 percent of the ocean below the surface has actually been seen or explored. By using GIS, marine scientists are gaining new insights into a once-mysterious world. A technologically sophisticated database and information management and display system, GIS holds tremendous potential for mapping, interpreting, and managing ocean environments—from the seafloor to the shoreline. Read the full description.